Category: exhibits

On the Embarcadero…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn exhibits, oil painting, pastel, Paula Radke Gallery4 Comments

Recently, I’d gone down to visit and  to wish Paula Radke success at her new gallery location at 701 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, CA. Luckily for me, she wanted to see my pastels of the Central Coast of California, so she came up to my studio and chose eleven pieces of my artwork to hang in her gallery. Also, she wanted notecards of my pastels and oils .

Here are some of the pieces of my artwork that she’s showing with her Art Glass creations.  She is inspired by the colorful iridescence found in beetles, butterflies, bird feathers and fish. It translates into her work in Art Glass with grace and beauty. It turns out that we both love brilliant and iridescent color!

If you are waiting to have lunch or dinner at Dutchman’s Seafood House drop in to see Paula Radke’s Art Glass and my pastels and oil paintings. My notecards of  Morro Rock and surrounding areas are available too.

Her gallery location is near the SubSea Tours dock where whale watching is the best there is in Morro Bay, CA.

Until the next sketch… Peace, Heather

P.S. Remember to sign in for notices on my WordPress website here and also, on my Facebook page which can be found under “Heather O’Connor @wandering.illustrator”

 

New artwork…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn ArtsObispo, color, exhibits, landscape, pastel3 Comments

It’s spring and I’m ready to show you a few more pictures!

Santa Barbara fire colors flow north – Pastel

The one of the biggest fires in California’s history raged and drove towards Santa Barbara, CA and the nearby wealthy area of Montecito.  As it did, the sky over the Morro Bay State Park turned colors!

This will be in my Open Studio Tour shown along with other pastels and oils. Some a bit more calm and peaceful like this one below.

Southside light on one of the Morros – Pastel

Morning light always pleases the Nine Sisters, a group of volcanic eruptions in San Luis Obispo County. I live at the most western end of one. It’s Morro Bay well known for Morro Rock.

Until the next sketch, Heather

Bird Festival show…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn colored pencil, Morro Bay Art Center, oil painting, watercolorLeave a comment

This month of January, the Morro Bay Art Center is showing artists’ work focusing on the birds that we’ve seen locally and afar. I have entered three oil paintings and notecards. The Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival takes place every year In January when the birds migrate into and through Morro Bay. A very exciting time!

The show is open January 11 – February 19, 2018.

The duck display of courtship can be quite amusing or showy. Videos capture it very well, but since I paint stills you’ll have to enjoy and imagine what might be next. Lots of feathers flapping in display intrigue me.

Pintail Courtship Display                                © Heather O’Connor
Ruddy Duck Courtship II                              © Heather O’Connor
Western Gulls at Rest                                       © Heather O’Connor
California Quail in the Arboretum                                 © Heather O’Connor

To see prices, please go to the pages for available artwork at the top of this page.

Until the next sketch…Peace, Heather

2017 Open Studios Tour… 2 weekends!

On By Heather O'ConnorIn ArtsObispo, pastel2 Comments

First, I wish to invite you to my studio both weekends, October 14-15 and 21-22. Come visit for trees, a duck, several orchids, pastels and a few oils from anywhere!
Please pick up a catalog to see my location, Studio #41, in Morro Bay.
I’m looking forward to seeing you!

Second, Facebook followers remember to press the hyperlink to get to my website and sign up to follow me.

Marshlands of the Sweet Springs Preserve

The creeks from the county finally flow into the bay, then down to the ocean…

Over the Montaña de Oro dunes

Ducks galore will be arriving from the north as the weather cools and daylight becomes shorter.

Until the next sketch…peace, Heather

Looking North…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn ArtsObispo, color, pastel, seascapeLeave a comment

Facing the Pacific Ocean and Morro Bay, the views are always inviting me to gaze at the ever changing moody skies and brilliant colors. Tides rise and fall making the pickle weed marshes like chameleons. Light never is quite the same.

Overlooking Morro Bay

 

Sand dunes reaching for Morro Rock…

Looking North over the sand spit

From one of the first pull offs in Montaña de Oro, I overlooked the sand spit reaching for Morro Rock. I was high up and could look down on the native woody shrubs as late summer faded them into a golden hue.

Morro Rock from the “Pit”

A surfers’ more northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the wide Estero Bay when looking  to capture the southerly breaks… I often notice the power and weight  of Morro Rock, a long eroded volcanic peak formed 23 million years ago.

Until the next sketch…peace, Heather

Exploring trees…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn ArtsObispo, pastel, plants, trees2 Comments

I’ve been gathering together some of my tree pastels  for the San Luis Obispo 2017 Open Studios Tour. Here are just a few that are available in the “original” pastel form. They’ll be framed.

Gnarly tree trunk beside Laguna Lake

Laguna Lake is a special place for birders, energetic runners, hikers, walkers and bloggers. A friend, Joyce Cory, is a keen observer at Laguna Lake. Follow the link.  Also, one of my favorite eucalyptus trees is there. You may have seen it in a previous post.

Heron Rookery in the eucalyptus taken over by Cormorants

The Heron Rookery near the Windy Cove and  Morro Bay Museum is a great viewing location for Great Blue Herons, Great and Snowy Egrets along with the ever present Cormorants.

Looking into the Sweet Springs woods

Sweet Springs is one of the best locations for birdwatching…ducks, herons, eagles, raptor, owls, etc.

If you prefer the note card size, I’ll make some for you too.

Until the next sketch…peace, Heather

A Morro Rock summer…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn Morro Bay Art Center, oil painting7 Comments

This summer, showing my paintings in the Morro Bay Art Association was great success… It was a show of the favorite places that visitors to our town love to see… “Morro Rock.” I’ve sketched and painted it numerous times. We all love the “rock” in all its personalities. The one below is a bright day with a bit of the marine layer in the distance. It often creeps in gradually…

Morro Rock Over the Dunes

Morro Rock, a State Historic Landmark, was formed about 23 million years ago from the plugs of long-extinct volcanoes. Morro Rock was an important navigational aid for mariners for over 300 years because the rock is approximately 576 feet tall which made it the most visible, however not the tallest,  in a chain of 9 peaks. Portuguese explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo named the rock “El Morro” in 1542. In Spanish “Morro” means crown shaped hill. Morro Rock, sometimes called the “Gibraltar of the Pacific,” is the last peak of the Nine Sisters, which extend from San Luis Obispo to Morro Bay.

The rock itself was quarried on and off until 1963. Morro Rock provided material for the break waters of Morro Bay and Port San Luis Harbor and other coastal jetties in addition to walls and houses in San Luis Obispo. In 1966, a bill was introduced which transferred the full title to the State of California. Later the San Luis Obispo County Historical Society and the City of Morro Bay succeeded in getting the Morro Rock declared as a California Registered Historical Landmark #821. Morro Rock, also, became State Landmark #801 in 1968. The rock has since been designated a bird sanctuary for the peregrine falcon and other bird species. Bird enthusiasts may follow the peregrine activities on the website Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch.

Morro Rock Across the Dunes

This painting has a marine layer building over the cold Pacific Ocean while the foreground where I stood is bright and sunny. No wonder that we all love it so much and see artists gazing at it and painting it frequently.

These two oil paintings were SOLD. That put my spirits and bank account in a very positive mode. If you ever see a piece of artwork that you’d like to have, please contact me. Many can be made into notecards.

Remember that the San Luis Obispo County 2017 Open Studios Tour is coming up in October 14-15, 21-22.

Until the next sketch…peace, Heather

Bird show month…and exhibit…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn acrylic, animals, colored pencil, exhibits, Morro Bay Art Center, watercolor2 Comments

In January, Morro Bay puts on a Winter Bird Festival. Because of the king tides pushing the birds on the bay close to the boardwalk where I walk, it was spectacular. People took trips to see birds at the Carrizo Plains, Owling at Night, Birding by Bicycle, Osos Flaco, Sweet Springs and did a Big Day and Little Big Day bird count !

EXHIBIT
I recalled many years ago as a child, I had painted a Ruddy Duck for my grandmother. (Listen to podcast) I was about 10 years old. In honor of that time, I decided to paint a Ruddy Duck in courtship mode slapping its bill against its chest making a myriad of bubbles. You may see it on exhibit at the Morro Bay Art Center on Main Street.

Courtship
Courtship

I, also, entered a Common Loon with a Chick riding on its back and a California Quail which I have yet to photograph, but you may see them all until they take the show down on the 6th of February 2017.

Common Loon with chick on elk hide
Common Loon with Chick on elk hide

Until the next sketch…peace, Heather

Exciting report…

On By Heather O'ConnorIn exhibits, scholarshipLeave a comment

The grand total raised for the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch is $316.25. It was made up of 25% from my sales of pastels, watercolors, notecards and a painting of a great horned owl on elk hide which equaled  $161.25.   Add in the PCPW table sales of $155 for mitered corner dinner napkins, peregrine pins and stuffed falcon toys.

I am so pleased! You all made it possible. Thank you.

If any of you still would like to make a $20 donation plus tax and receive a set of two, mitered corner dinner napkins, please contact me.

Mitered corner dinner napkins
Mitered corner dinner napkins

I have two sets of gull napkins, two sets of dinosaur napkins, two sets of perching birds on white napkins and three sets of chicken napkins. Let me know what you’d like.

My commitment is to have students be curious, love the sciences and be good scientists to expand our knowledge and care of our planet. There most certainly is a lot to take care of !

Until the next sketch… peace, Heather

 

Success… Open Studios Tour

On By Heather O'ConnorIn acrylic, ArtsObispo, exhibits, oil painting, pastel, plants, seascape, skyscape, watercolorLeave a comment

My first chance to participate in the Open Studios Tour turned out pretty well !  Lots of visitors including friends, neighbors, mothers with artistic children and many new people who just decided to see what I was creating.  If you have the desire to see any pastels, notecards or mitered corner napkins, to purchase for holiday gifts, please contact me in the form below my signature.

One of the most exciting things was that I raised $155 for the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch on sales of mitered corner napkins, stuffed peregrine toys, peregrine pins, hats and t-shirts. People understood that 25% of any sales I made would go to the Pacific Coast Peregrine Watch which is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit who gives a $1,000 scholarship to a Cal Poly Wildlife Biology student.

Pastels and watercolor on display
Pastels and watercolor on display

People loved my pastels of seascapes, Morro Rock, the CalPoly Arboretum and were fascinated with my birds painted on elk hide for wall hangings.

img_5095
My studio

The view out of my small studio over our raised bed garden with the Pacific Ocean in the distance was a pleasant surprise to many visitors.

Oil paintings in the studio with feathers
Oil paintings in the studio with feathers where I work

Until the next sketch…peace, Heather